Uni Power Tank Smart Series 0.7mm Ballpoint – Black

Having quickly come to realize that Uni/Uni-ball was a pretty popular brand on my last JetPens list, I figured I might as well continue on the review streak as well… The main feature of this fine ballpoint pen is the ink tank, which forces ink out of the tip using compressed air pressure. Utilizing this technology, Uni has created a pen that can rival the Fisher Space Pen in it’s ability to write in almost any condition, be it upside down, on wet surfaces, or even in some extreme cold/hot temperatures. Uni also utilizes this compressed air technology to push every single bit of ink out of the cartridge, making for a smooth writing experience from the first click of this retractable pens “clicker” (and no, I don’t really know the technical term for the button on top of a retractable pen, although I suppose it could technically be termed a “plunger”).

Now that I’ve gotten the Uni spiel out-of-the-way, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of this writing instrument. First of all, design… The Uni Power Tank Smart Series comes in two different body designs. The regular series (which is being reviewed today) comes in several different color polycarbonate barrel designs (beige, brown, navy, pink, silver, and yellow), while the high-grade series features a fine spiral design on an aluminum barrel (which comes in silver, black, brown, light blue, gold, and pink). Unlike most pens, which come apart between the grip and main section of the barrel, the Power Tank unscrews at the top, right under the “plunger”. There’s no rubber grip on this pen, but there is a gnurled/grooved grip, which is better than nothing…

As for how this pen writes, I must admit that it’s one of the smoothest ballpoint pens I have used in a while. Due to the compressed air system, the Power Tanks seems to virtually glide along the paper without any skipping or scratching (a very rare quality for a ballpoint) and lays down a consistent line of Uni’s oil-based pigment ink. Congratulations Uni, you’ve built a ballpoint that even a ballpoint-hater can at least use with relative comfort!